A Sketch of a Witch
by Lydia Monroe
Summary: A Sketch of a Witch through the Eyes of a Prince


I have never seen a woman more beautiful than her. She thinks so little of herself, but as I watch her watching the night sky, I see the embodiment of all my dreams. The wind whips her long dark hair behind her, exposing her upturned face to the stars. She closes those dark eyes, breathing deeply, seeking some truth on the wind. She worries. Too much if you ask me, but then she never would. She would answer her own question with something sarcastic like "Why am I asking you, Mister Dancing Through Life himself? You worry about nothing."

She'd be wrong if she ever really said that. I worry about her. I've worried about her with every breath I've taken since that day I said goodbye to her on the train platform. Not knowing where she was, if she was injured, cold, hungry, for all those years took there toll on my nerves.

She says I'm overbearing, always asking her if I can do anything for her. It's her way of covering the fact that she has no idea how to respond to it. It breaks my heart to know that no one ever took the time to love this sweet, beautiful woman when she was an innocent, impressionable child.

Honestly, Oz should be glad she maintained her _humanity_ through it all. And yes, the emphasis on humanity is intentional. People used to taunt her, before the Dorothy fiasco. They called her names like 'green bean' and 'artichoke' and 'froggy'. They tried to demoralize her, dehumanize her. Thank Oz none of it worked. She stands before me, framed by the night sky, covered in her black gown and shawl, as the most human of us all. It was her goal to remind us, that as humans, we have responsibilities to those around us.

She may not have inspired many, but she gave the Animals new hope, a reason to continue fighting for their voices. She even made Glinda think about something other than ball gowns, parties, and shoes. She brought out the best in all of us at Shiz, even the self-centered and deeply shallow Prince of the Arjikis. She makes me use my tribes formal name; she hates it when I use the word 'Winkie', says it's derogatory. She's the smart one in this relationship, so I trust her.

She startles me from me thoughts with her sweet laugh, so often unheard in the place of her cackle. She points to the sky and turns to me with eyes brightened by the moonlight and an inner glow that shines through from her soul.

"Fiyero, look! It's a shooting star!"

I chuckle, stand, move behind her, and wrap my arms around her. "Whatever shall we wish for, my love?"

"I always wish for the same thing."

"What's that?"

"That I could be beautiful for you."

I grab her, turn her around, and force her to meet my gaze. "Elphaba Thropp, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met."

"Fiyero! I've told you before, don't lie to me!"

"I'm not lying! Even Glinda thought you were beautiful."

"She had to! She was my best friend."

"Glinda may have been your best friend, but she's still the most shallow woman I have ever met."

"Fiyero..."

"I know, I know, but I have a right to say those things. I was engaged to her after all."

"Bad decision on your part, love, to leave her for the ugly Wicked Witch of the West."

I have to restrain myself from shaking her. "Elphaba, you are not wicked! That was a horrible rumor started by Morrible and you know it! And as to your beauty, though your lips may be thinner than Glinda's, they fit perfectly against mine and kiss oh so well. You nose may be pointy, but it is very aristocratic. And if it weren't so straight, it would've been much harder to look down your nose at people as you did at Shiz." She chuckles at this. "Your eyes are the most exquisite part of your face. They are perfectly almond shaped, and the color of my favorite chocolate. Did you know, when Glinda puts on her mascara, she always laments your long, full lashes? It's always" and here I imitate Glinda's high pitched whine "Why did Elphaba get prettier eyes than me? I'm supposed to be perfect!" She laughs. "And though you see you skin as your biggest flaw..."

"No, my love, that would be my temper."

I smile. "You biggest physical flaw that is, it is what makes you unique. You have lived in this skin your whole life. Without it, without your beautiful verdigris, you would not have been tormented, and without the torment you would not have had the strength or the will to stand up to the Wizard and Morrible when they were tormenting the Animals. Your skin, your albatross as it were, is the one thing that has enabled you to do all that you've accomplished. You gave the Animals their voice back; you became a symbol of the revolution. I would not change you for the world. You are beautiful in every possible way, my dear, lovely, sweet Elphaba."

She laughs, turns in my arms, and returns her eyes to the sky.


End file.
